Reading List app for Windows: FAQ

Reading List is an app where you can keep track of content you want to get back to later from the web or your favorite apps. It organizes the content you share to it in chronological order, displaying titles and images from the content so the things you've added to Reading List are easy to find later.

When you've found an item you want to add to your list, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Share.(If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Share.)

Tap or click Reading List. You'll see a preview of the content.

Optional:Tap or click the dropdown menu that says Categorize. Choose a category for the item or create a new category.

If you don't see Reading List as an option when you open the Share charm, the app or browser you're using doesn't share to Reading List. You can't share content from desktop apps or web browsers in the desktop to Reading List.

You can, however, share items to Reading List from many apps from the Windows Store, and from Internet Explorer if you have it set as your default browser and open it from the Start screen.

Reading List shows your most recently added items first, and older items are shown in a timeline that you can scroll through. Images and titles make the content you've added recognizable as you scroll through your list.

You can also filter your list by category so that you only see items within a certain category at one time.

To filter your list by category

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click the name of the category of items you want to see, or Tap or click Categories and then tap or click the name of the category of items you want to see.

You can go back to viewing all items in your list by swiping up from the top or bottom edge and tapping or clicking All items.

You can search in Reading List to find specific content you've added. You can search by title, summary, or the name of the app it came from.

Reading List comes with six default categories to get you going—Finance, Food, Health, News, Sports, and Travel. You can move items from one category to another, and you can add new categories, and rename or delete categories. You need to use the app in full view to manage categories.

To create a new category

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click Categories.

Tap or click Add .

Enter a name for the new category. Tap or click OK.

To create a new category for an item or group of items

Swipe down on or right-click the item or items you want to categorize.

Tap or click Categorize.

Tap or click New category.

Enter a name for the new category. Tap or click OK.

To change the category of an item or group of items

Swipe down on or right-click the item or items you want.

Tap or click Categorize.

Tap or click the category you want, orTap or click New category and enter the name of the category you'd like to create and tap or click OK.

To clear the category of an item or group of items

Swipe down on or right-click the item or items you want.

Tap or click Clear category.

To rename a category

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click the category you want to rename.

Swipe in from the bottom edge and tap or click Rename category.

or

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click Categories.

Swipe down on or right-click to select the category you want to rename.

Tap or click Rename category.

To delete a category and all the items in it

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click the name of the category you want to delete.

Swipe in from the bottom edge and tap or click Delete category.

or

Swipe in from the top or bottom edge.(If you're using a mouse, right-click within the app.)

Tap or click Categories.

Swipe down on or right-click to select the category or categories you want to delete.

You can keep the items in your list as long as you want to. To help save space, after 3 months items you added won't show images. You’ll still be able to see their titles and descriptions and open them from your list.

If you set up your PC with recommended settings and sign in with a Microsoft account, your list will be synced by default.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)

Tap or click OneDrive, then tap or click Sync settings.

Make sure that Sync settings on this PC and App data are turned On.

Note

You must be signed in to your PC with a Microsoft account in order to sync your settings across devices. For more info, see All about Microsoft account.

You can add as many items to your list as you like. There is a limit to how many items you can sync to multiple devices—if you hit that limit, you'll get a notification that new items you add won't be synced to other devices until you permanently delete some items from your list.

Need more help?

Reading List is an app where you can keep track of content you want to get back to later from the web or your favorite apps. It organizes the content you share to it in chronological order, displaying titles and images from the content so the things you've added to Reading List are easy to find later.

Reading List shows your most recently added items first, and older items are shown in a timeline that you can scroll through. Images and titles make the content you've added recognizable as you scroll through your list.

You can also filter your list by category so that you only see items within a certain category at one time.

To filter your list by category

From the Home screen, swipe right until you see the Categories screen.

Reading List comes with six default categories to get you going—Finance, Food, Health, News, Sports, and Travel. You can move items from one category to another, and you can add new categories, and rename or delete categories.

To create a new category

From the Home screen, swipe right until you see the Categories screen.

Tap Add .

Enter a name for the new category, and then tap OK .

To create a new category for an item or group of items

Tap Select and then tap the items you want to categorize. You can select items from anywhere in the app.

Tap Categorize .

Tap New.

Enter a name for the new category, and then tap OK .

To change the category of an item or group of items

Tap Select and then tap the items you want to change the category of. You can select items from anywhere in the app.

Tap Categorize .

Tap the category you want, orTap New and enter the name of the category you'd like to create, and then tap OK .

To clear the category of an item or group of items

Tap Select and then tap the items you want to change the category of. You can select items from anywhere in the app.

Tap Categorize .

Tap More .

Tap Clear Category.

To rename a category

From the Home screen, swipe right until you see the Categories screen.

Tap the category you want to rename.

Tap More .

Tap Rename category.

Enter a name, and then tap OK .

To delete a category and all the items in it

From the Home screen, swipe right until you see the Categories screen.

You can keep the items in your list as long as you want to. To help save space, after 3 months items you added won't show images. You’ll still be able to see their titles and descriptions and open them from your list.

The first time you install Reading List on your Windows Phone,
it can take a little while before all the items you've already added from
other devices show up in your phone app. Even if bookmarks you've already
shared to Reading List haven't shown up yet, you can still add new ones to
your Reading List from your phone or from any other device.

One way to get your items to sync to your phone sooner is to
share something to your list from your PC after you've installed the phone
app.

You can add as many items to your list as you like. There is a limit to how many items you can sync to multiple devices—if you hit that limit, you'll get a notification that new items you add won't be synced to other devices until you permanently delete some items from your list.